Alex Yang of Tuya Smart Explores AI Innovation at 2026 Summer Davos Forum

From June 23 to 25, 2026, the 17th Annual Meeting of New Champions (AMNC), also referred to as the "Summer Davos," was held at the Dalian International Conference Center. This year’s forum brought together over 1,700 leaders and innovators from government, business, and academia from more than 90 countries to explore how artificial intelligence (AI), industrial digitization, and emerging innovation models are transforming economic growth and technology adoption.

One of the prominent figures at the event was Alex Yang, co-founder, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391). During the forum, he participated in several sessions, including discussions on "China's Lobster Fever," "AI and Future Growth," and "Mastering the Interface Strategy in the Era of AI Agents.” In these discussions, Yang shared his insights into the constantly evolving global AI landscape and the future of large-scale innovation.

A New Phase of Global AI Innovation

The advancements in fundamental models and AI agents are accelerating the rise of artificial intelligence as a new frontier in global technological competition. The AI industry, particularly in China, has garnered increasing international attention due to its rapid commercialization and wide-ranging application scenarios. At the Summer Davos Forum, sessions focusing on AI and digital transformation were among the most discussed topics, highlighting issues such as the limits of AI-centered companies and the implications of increasingly autonomous cross-border AI agents.

Examining China's Lobster Fever

At the session titled "China's Lobster Fever," Yang, alongside Cathy Li from the World Economic Forum and Zhang Ying from Peking University, analyzed the factors driving the rapid adoption and innovation of AI in China. Yang pointed out that China’s capability for massive AI adoption stems from several mutually reinforcing advantages: a large pool of developers actively exploring and creating AI applications, the willingness of both individuals and companies to embrace and test new technologies, and a strong societal aspiration for development and progress, which acts as a compelling intrinsic driver for AI innovation.

Yang remarked, "At Tuya, we focus on integrating AI into various real-world industrial scenarios. In the smart home sector, we lower the barriers for developing native AI products through standardized AI modules and an active developer community. In the energy sector, our AI solutions encompass the entire energy lifecycle, from generation and transmission to storage and consumption. By integrating real-time dynamic electricity prices from over 800 power companies across Europe, our platform can intelligently optimize energy loads, helping users significantly reduce their total energy costs."

Transitioning to Value-Oriented Pricing Models

Concerning the commercialization of AI, Yang indicated that the sector is shifting from traditional usage-based pricing models to value-based and outcome-oriented pricing frameworks. He highlighted that the companies that will thrive in the AI era are those that not only adopt AI technologies early on but also develop AI-native organizations and talent.

During the Summer Davos Forum, Yang granted interviews to several major international media outlets, including CNBC, Bloomberg, and CGTN, where he elaborated on his vision for the commercialization of AI applications, the development of the developer ecosystem, and the large-scale deployment of AI hardware. He emphasized the necessity of open innovation in maintaining long-term competitiveness in a period of rapid technological change and industrial transformation. Looking ahead, Tuya will continue to deepen its focus on AI applications in home automation, energy management, and robotics, collaborating with global developers and ecosystem partners to drive AI from technological advances to large-scale deployment.

About Tuya Smart

Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391) is a global leader in AI cloud platform services, dedicated to integrating AI into everyday life. Through its open-source development framework TuyaOpen and universal AI agent engines, Tuya incorporates multimodal AI capabilities to reduce barriers to AI development, efficiently promoting the creation of AI-driven lifestyles and accelerating the integration of AI into the physical world. Tuya offers innovative AI solutions for smart devices, commercial applications, and industrial developers through its cloud computing capabilities and spatial intelligence. The platform also provides a comprehensive, open, and neutral global AIoT ecosystem. As of March 31, 2026, Tuya’s AI developer platform boasted over 1,970,000 registered AI developers from more than 200 countries and regions.